


Shut Up For Once

by Lynnyburd



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-16 16:16:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21039089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lynnyburd/pseuds/Lynnyburd
Summary: The Drop Ship is supposed to be a place to get from one arena to the next. Not a place for flirting between legends. Especially when you claim to hate that person, they can’t shut up and his space is right next to Caustic’s.Just another day in the life of Crypto.





	Shut Up For Once

**Author's Note:**

> This may be a one off, it may turn into a full thing. First fic in a long time though and first ever Apex one so be sure to give me some feedback.  
“COME ON NOW, SAY HELLO!”

To say that Mirage was infectious was something that Crypto was finding to be an understatement. Mirage was infectious in the same way that the Black Plague had swept through a nation and decimated it. It was all encompassing, unstoppable and ultimately was something that no one could shut up about.   
  
Just like Mirage.   
  
The only place where no one heard the holographic man’s name from fans or reports was in the quiet of the Drop Ship. Actually no, Crypto was also learning that this was a false fact.   
  
Mirage’s name even permeated this area, like a true plague from the source itself.   
  
As someone who had solved a lot of his life problems himself, Crypto had taken to deciding how he was best going to shut this man up. If he had to spend one more long flight between King’s Canyon and World’s Edge listening to this man- well... the entire ship would separate them once more. It had only happened once and it had lead to penalties for more than just them. Such was the way of their world... 

His original plan had been to disassemble a thermite and mix it into Mirage’s toothpaste. It might kill him but if he didn’t the government would or worse Wraith who was slowly losing sleep thanks to the lack of walls for their own ‘safety’.   
  
It was these lack of walls that had made Crypto’s solution all the more painful. Well it was a solution that had occurred by accident, one moment the pair had been guns blazing towards Capital City, their teammate gone, snapping over kills and the next they had hit a well hidden jump pad. The landing had been more rough on Mirage than it had been on him. At least until the patch of that had sent him spiraling, the two had landed together, limbs wrapped and Korean curses flying from Crypto’s mouth that would make his grandmother weep.

Curses that only grew as Mirage managed to not only land on top of him, the snow around them crunching from their two forms pressed into it. But because of the grin that was on Mirage’s face.   
  
“Oh you so did that on purpose,” The shit eating grin was only growing by the second on Mirage’s face as he spoke, one hand resting next to Crypto’s head and way to close for comfort. The other moving to touch his own hair, checking for snow, because if there was one thing that this idiot cared about. It was how he looked on the cameras.   
  
Above them, past the stupid face grinning down at him, he could see the top of the giant ice spires above them. Glistening in the sun. Ironically beautiful for such a shit world they lived in. It was the first thing that made him notice that the man above him was not as painful to look at as he was to listen to.   
  
As if he’d ever tell him that.   
  
“If you do not move,” Crypto’s voice was a quiet hiss of rage, his eyes narrowing. “Your holograms will be all they find of you.”  
  
For a moment Mirage seemed to stare at him, as if weighing how much of this was real anger and how much of it was false. In that moment was lull of silence that lasted long enough to make the anger the hacker felt feel strange. Eyes locked and something passed there, a weird understanding that they were in some strange fucked up situation that lead them to be jumping out of ships, shooting others, arguing with each other while both of them were pursuing something else.   
  
All Crypto wanted was freedom and here he found himself wondering why was Mirage here? And why when the quiet crept in did he look so different. So much older.   
  
He had opened his mouth to speak when the silence was broken. A charge rifle had not only penetrated their armor but it had wiped them both clean out leaving only their death boxes and no one left to grab them.   
  
That night had been the first night that Mirage had stopped by Crypto’s area. Out of all of the legends, save for Caustic who kept a permanent cloud of figurative and literal mystery in his area, Crypto slept the least. The flight back to King’s Canyon was long and all around them were Legends trying to rest as well as they could with one eye open.   
  
“Hey uh,” The voice had broken the silence and Crypto who had been curled up in his desk chair, chin resting on one leg as he typed away, doing his best to stay under the radar while looking for information paused. He didn’t swivel his head nor did he need to in order to know Mirage lingered in the entrance to his area. No doubt rubbing his hands or some other nervous motion. “Not meaning to bother you or uh- yeah- uh- just wanted to ask. What exactly you were gonna say earlier? Unless it’s in Korean- Not that I have a problem with it. I just don’t speak Korean.”  
  
For a moment Crypto contemplated how hard it would be to convince Caustic to toss some gas over his way. To just end him before he had to enter this conversation but as he turned his mind flashed back to under the ice. To the look that had been on Mirage’s face and he found the same words swimming on his lips even now.   
  
Staring at the man who no doubt had been bothered by this as he tried to sleep.   
  


“Why are you here?” Came his response, quiet and simple, waiting for an answer from a man who never shut up.   
  
“Uhhh I just told you?” It wasn’t a question from a stupid man but Mirage was clearly that insecure. That lost in his own mind. It actually made Crypto smirk as he tried to push down the urge to insult the other man.   
  
“No,” He repeated the question again, “Why are you _here_?”

  
”Oh uh, fame and glory and-“ Mirage stopped midway through his words releasing that the other man was staring at him with a frown. It was clear that Crypto’s drone wasn’t the only all seeing eye. Swallowing he shrugged, “I uh...I’m looking for family.”  
  
There was a nod, an understanding as Crypto rose, “We are all looking for something.”   
  
Something odd had flashed over Mirage’s face that night and he had stammered something strange before bolting as if Bloodhound’s demonic raven had come out of hiding. 

When it had changed, Crypto wasn’t sure, they had built a ritual. Mirage would swing by before he finally tried to rest and would ask him one question. The two would speak on it, without argument and then Mirage would vanished into his area. Claiming he was going to look at himself for an hour or two but Crypto doubted that was the truth. He had learned that the man loved pork chops, his favorite color was yellow, he had a fear of clowns- the list had begun to grow.   
  
Yet when it had shifted? When it had grown into something else. Crypto wasn’t sure. Maybe each night he had moved closer, encroaching slowly on the other mans space. They had gone from Crypto at his computer and Mirage never leaving his post by the line dividing the their mans space to one night Mirage leaning over his shoulder. Dangerously close to his computer, something that would’ve made the man very unhappy in the past but tonight they had been discussing his drones.   
  
Not that he would ever tell the man sensitive information. No that would be stupid and he was not stupid not like Mirage.   
  
No.   
  
Crypto found himself repeating these words as he turned over the machine in his hand, letting Mirage stare at it and to the wall of code that scrolled by.   
  
“You ever considered cloaking that thing?” The words had come out of Mirage’s mouth, curious and interested. He reached up and patted his own shoulder in reference to his own cloaking.   
  
A snort escaped Crypto’s lips as he placed the machine down on his desk which was already littered with spare parts. “It would become too heavy and it would inflate your ego to have another Legend using your gear. Thank you but no thank you.”  
  
That earned him a quick eye roll and the two both smirked at one another. One moment Crypto had been turning to ask Mirage a question and the next the man had been in his space. There was something about their career that built his reflexes to tense. Always ready for another shot, another kill but there wasn’t a charge rifle this time.   
  
There was only someone closer than Crypto had allowed in a long time, leaning over him not to inspect his machine but to instead press lips that were far too soft to be allowed in this world against his own. Maybe Mirage had meant to kiss him longer, maybe he had been expecting something passionate like those shitty novels he tried to hide in his area. But Crypto had remained tense and icey, not pulling away but not reciprocating. Not sure of what was happening or- honestly- how in this shitty world someone could have soft lips.   
  
Yanking back Mirage blushed, rubbing the back of his head, his stammer coming out in full force. “I uh- I shoudn’t have- wrong signal right. Uh nice toy- DRONE I mean drone. Nice drone- I am gonna-“  
  
He had turned to leave. Crypto had watched as the mans body had twisted to head back to his area. He had barely made a turn before Crypto had caught his wrist. Rising from his chair to yank Mirage back, their eyes meeting before their lips did and he found himself back in that moment. Below ice in a world far more beautiful than anything he had ever experienced.   
  
They didn’t kiss long, lips molding on one another’s, one hand finding the small of Crypto’s hair and lacing there. Crypto’s finding the small of Mirage’s hip, feeling at the flesh there. Challenging one another to kiss deeper, to find another middle ground for them-   
  
Maybe Mirage was smarter than he gave him credit for because he had barely yanked away. Earning a quiet ‘what’ from Crypto before Pathfinder had rounded the corner, hand raised in greeting before freezing, the smiling face on his chest turning to a question. His head swiveling with a sad robotic noise between the pair, “Are you fighting again?”   
His metallic voice chimed sadly, the question mark now flashing to a frown. “Do not get in trouble again.”  
  
”We were discussing whose tech is better,” Crypto chimed, glad that Pathfinder was oblivious to swollen lips and fucked up hair. Sinking back into his chair he pointed at his drone, “Well more or less stating fact.”  
  
”HEY!” Mirage had snapped out the words but on the opposite side, Caustic had poked his head out from his cloud, his entire body silhouetted meanincingly as All it took was one stare for Pathfinder to bolt. And Mirage to wave his hand and shrink back when he only got a glare in return.   
  
At the silence, the man retreated like a true nightmare, leaving Mirage to stare sheepishly at Crypto who was back at work. Typing away as code scrolled faster than he could read. “I’m gonna just go now...if you uh-“  
  
”Yes,” came Crypto’s calm response, not glancing up. “I will come and find you tomorrow for more discussions.”  
  
He could practically hear the smile from Mirage as the man did not hide the small whoop under his breath before he turned and wondered off.   
  
Next time they would have to be quieter. He found himself looking forward to something else beyond killing and secrets. 


End file.
